More Quack Cures For Diabetes

Another quack cure for diabetes is chromium. This became popular in the 1950s when an experiment showed that rats taking this mineral were able to metabolize sugar properly. Since then, it has been suggested that a chromium deficiency may cause diabetes and a host of other symptoms.

"It has been reported that chromium supplements can correct impaired glucose tolerance in malnourished children. In another report, diabetic symptoms, including glucose intolerance, weight loss and nerve disorders, were reversed in a woman given intravenous chromium. She was a hospitalized patient who had been receiving all of her nutrition intravenously for several years when these diabetic symptoms arose. Insulin itself had no effect," according to Dr. Sheldon Saul Hendler in The Doctors' Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia.

Many other promising studies have surfaced showing that chromium may improve impaired glucose tolerance in elderly patients. At present, however, there is no direct evidence that chromium can prevent diabetes or improve diabetic conditions.

Since chromium deficiency is rare in healthy individuals eating a balanced diet, supplementation is not advised. Neither is it recommended for those with diabetes until more studies are out. Little is known about the long-term effects of chromium and to what extent it can affect diabetics.

To a diabetic, low blood sugar can be just as dangerous as high blood sugar. When the concentration of glucose in the blood is below normal, the cells become energy-starved, causing what is known as hypoglycemia or an insulin reaction.

Hypoglycemia usually occurs in diabetics taking insulin injections and sometimes in those who rely on antidiabetic tablets or oral hypoglycemic agents. These drugs normalize blood sugar levels effectively but when taken in excess, they can cause a sharp drop in glucose levels which is bad for diabetics. This type of hypoglycemia is called reactive or functional hypoglycemia. A similar condition can occur when diabetics skip meals or after prolonged or vigorous physical activity.

"The symptoms vary from one person to another, but common early symptoms include weakness, trembling and dizziness. Often, heavy cold perspiration may occur. The skin appears pale or ashen. Nervousness, hunger, blurred vision, and a tingling sensation in the hands and feet may accompany the other symptoms," according to Dr. David E. Larson, editor in chief the Mayo Clinic Family Health Book.

If the condition is not corrected, the diabetic may also experience headache, dizziness, difficulty in walking, nausea and rapid heartbeat. The person appears confused, stubborn and uncooperative, and may exhibit other abnormal behavior patterns. In the end, he may lose consciousness and fall into a coma.

"As the condition worsens, the lack of coordination may become more exaggerated, and the diabetic may seem to be intoxicated. Unconsciousness may occur in extreme cases. Convulsions also may result, particularly in children," Larson said.

"Such hypoglycemia, especially in someone with heart or vascular • disease is much more dangerous than is a modestly elevated sugar. Not only does a sharp drop in sugar increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, it's hazardous for other reasons. For example, consider the impact of an attack of low blood sugar that impairs your thinking, or causes loss of consciousness while you're performing any act that requires judgment such as driving a car, or even walking across a street," added Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld of the New York Hospital - Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in The Best Treatment. (Next: Hypoglycemia: fact or fad?)

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